The present invention relates to separation of molecules (such as DNA, RNA, etc.), and more particularly to separation of molecules via nano-deterministic lateral displacement using a pillar array.
The separation and sorting of biological entities, such as cells, proteins, deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA), ribonucleic acid (RNA), etc., is used in a vast number of biomedical applications including diagnostics, therapeutics, cell biology, and proteomics. Protein and DNA/RNA separation for analytical purposes is traditionally done by gel electrophoresis, where a protein mix is subjected to a strong electric field (typically 30 volts per centimeter (V/cm)). Proteins or DNA/RNA move through the gel at a rate depending on their size and surface charge.